From cutting to sewing, robots build custom-fit smartwear

"A smart garment tailored exactly to your body, made automatically by robots."

Researchers have developed a technology that designs clothing to fit an individual's body measurements and verifies the production process in a virtual environment. Robots then automatically handle everything from fabric cutting to sewing.

The Korea Institute of Industrial Technology said a joint research team developed the technology. Dr. Lim Dae-young, Dr. Won Chan-hee and Dr. Kang Bong-gu led the team, integrating 3D custom design, digital twin process verification, and automated robotic cutting and sewing into one system. The result is an on-demand micro-factory for small-batch, high-mix production of smartwear.

Smartwear refers to clothing that incorporates electronic components such as sensors and electrodes. Examples include EMS training suits, undershirts that measure heart rate, heated jackets, and socks that analyze foot pressure and correct gait.

Because body shapes vary from person to person, the placement of electrodes and wiring must be designed differently for each wearer. The production process must also be revised whenever product specifications change. This is why conventional mass-production systems have struggled to manufacture individually customized products.

To overcome this limitation, the research team integrated 3D custom design, digital twin process verification, and automated robotic cutting and sewing into a single continuous process.

First, when a wearer's body measurements and desired design are entered, a 3D garment model and a 2D cutting pattern are automatically generated. Electrode positions and wiring are also adjusted in real time to match the wearer's body shape.

The system then verifies which equipment to use and in what order within a digital twin that faithfully replicates the actual factory. It simulates various production scenarios to identify the optimal process sequence and production time. Real-time integration between actual manufacturing process data and the virtual model also allows the system to monitor production conditions as they happen.

Robots carry out the final step. Once the fabric is automatically cut according to the input 2D pattern, machine vision precisely recognizes the shape and position of the fabric. A "multi-degree-of-freedom needle-type gripper," developed in-house by the research team, picks up the fabric and moves it to an automatic sewing machine. The machine then stitches it according to a preset program, completing a prototype EMS smartwear garment.

"The key is simulating the entire production process in advance and organically integrating it with the actual robotic manufacturing process," said Lim Dae-young, principal researcher at KITECH. "We will continue to upgrade the on-demand micro-factory to expand the production base for individually customized smartwear."